Battery-well.



G. P. MASSEY.

BATTERY WELL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6, 1909.

95 1 1 92, Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

v 'I L UNITED sTA'rns PATENT OFFICE.-

CHABLES F. MASSEY, OF GiiZlICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BATTERY-WELL.

Specification of Le'tters latent.

latentedMar. 8," 1910.

Application filed February 6, 1909'. Serial No. $5,406.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. Massnr, a

'No. 891,944, issued J uue 30, 1908. Battery wells of this character are intended more. particularly for the storage of batteries which are required in the operation of railroad block signal appliances and track circuits, or in the operation of electrical apparatus of any style or character in which it is necessary to provide reservoirs for the, storage of batteries at points distant from houses or buildings in which the batteries inightotherwise be located.

Battery wells for railroad purposes are ordinarily buried beneath the surface of the ground, in order to protect the batteries contained withinthe well from freezing; and it is obvious that in these conditions it will be necessary to frequently locate the wells at points where the ground conditions are unfavorable for their reception, which is particularly the case where the ground is soft or marshy, .and where here a consequent tendency for the well to be lifted more or less out of the ground, by reason of its natural buoyancy.

The object of thc present invention is to so construct and arrange the well that the body of the well can be buried below the frost line and to an extent necessary to counteract the buoyancy of the well by the weight oh the earth above it, and at the same time afford means for ingress into the interior of the well through. a neck arranged to project above the surface of the earth.

Other objects of the invention are, to provide a suitable socket for the reception of the trunking box, and also to provide a suitable-conduit pipe for the battery wires, and

' convenient means for their suspension within the interior of the well.

Further objects will appear from a detailed description of the invention, which consists in the features of'construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is aperspective sectional elevation, showing the interior of and Fig. 2 a side elevation, taken at right angles to' the section line of Fig. 1.

be well is preferably formed of reinforced concret'e, comprising a cylindrical a converging upper wall 5,'wl iich connects with a. fiat roof 6 which is cut away, in its center, to provide a circular opening -7 adapted to be closed by means of-aninner cover 8, which rests upon a ledgeor-ilange 9 constituting the inner edge or rim of the roof 6. The circular opening 7 communicates with the interior of an upper air chamber 10, having a cylindrical wallll which extends upwardly a distance preferably equal to about half the diameter of" the lower portion of the battery well'and gives the upper portion of the well a neck-like formation. The inner diameterof the. cylindrical wall 11 is such that the ledge 'or flange 9 will project inwardly therefrom to a degree necessary to afford a support for the innercover 8. The top of the air'chanicover 12 which fits over the edge ofthe an chamber wall, and is adapted to be held in place by means of chain-sections 13 con- Tnected in their center by a padlock 1 L or The outer other suitable locking means. ends of the chain sections are carried down over the edges of the cover and are connected to eyes 15 entered in thewall of the air chamber. Obviously, other means of securing the cover in place might be employed. 7 The well is provided, onone side ofthe air chamberw'all, with a thickened lug 16 which extends upwardly from the roof- 6 to a oint near the upper ed 'e ofth'e wall 10, ,w iich flange has entered therethrough a is preferab y formed of fiber or other similar ably formed of reinforced concrete, the walls being formed upon a framework or skeleton 20, which may be in the form shown in Patent, No. 891,944, or of other suitable forcerned with the formation of the framework,

thebattery well of the present invention;

lower wall 3-which springs from a flat tiooe 4. The cylindrical lower wall-3 merges into anti-corroding substance, and-serves to con,"

matidm- 'The present invention is not con ber is closed by means of a flanged outer conduit pi e 17 of elbow shape, which pipe As previously stated, the wellis prefer so that it is not deemed necessary to enter into a description thereof. As shown, however, in F ig. 1, the framework comprises a plurality of rods embedded in the concrete, and, in order to afford. suitable hangers for the suspension of the battery wires under the roof of the battery chamber, the rods comprising the framework or skeleton are provided with loops or eyes 21, which project through the inner surface or ceiling of the horizontal roof 6 and afford supports for the Wires, so that thelatter may be laid under the ceiling to the conduit pipe, thereby leaving the center of the battery'chamberunobstructed by wires, so that the attendant can descend into the battery, chamber through the opening 7 without danger of entanglement with the wires. "It will be understood that the batteries are supported,

on tiers 22 which arearranged around the circular walls of the battery chamber.

The battery wells, when in use, are buried in the ground. to the degree necessary to bring the battery chamber below the frost line, for which purpose the elongated neck portion of the structure is provided. \Vhen buried in this manner, the upper end of the neck will project slightly above the surface of the ground andafi'ord asnitable means for access to the interior of the well. The.

reduced diameter of the neck, as compared with the lower portion of the well, affords a hat roof connecting withj sloping side walls, so that, when the well is buried to the desired degree, a very emsiderahle weightof eartlrwill rest directly upon the top of the lower or enlarged portion of the battery wellpwhich mass of earth serves to counteract the tendency of the well to be lifted to a greater or less degree above the surface of the ground, by reason of the buoyancy of the well. Unless the well be buried to a very considerable degree, this natural'buoyancy, especlally 1n molst or marshy ground, or in time'of flood or heavy ra1ns,'would lift the wellto such an extent as to raise it or a port1on of it above the frost line, with the result that the batteries might be frozen during subsequent cold weather.

The formation of the well of the present invention is such that this buoyant tendency is overcome, and at the same time a suitable air chamber and means of access are provided. The formation of the conduit pipe and the manner in which it is embedded, and the formation of the. trunking box socket, afi'ord sufficient rigidity to preventdisplaeement of the trunking box, even in the event that the battery well should lifted more or lessibyits buoyancy under anfavorable weather conditions. By providing a deep socket for'the inner end of the trunking box, the latter will rise and fall with the well without breaking off or materially displacing the wires, which would be the case if there were any relative movement between the trunking box and the well.

The arrangement, furthermore, is one which affords a relatively large battery chamber and a relatively small air chamber and neck, so that the capacity of the well, as compared with its weight; and total size, will be large. The sloping upper side walls, in addition to the aidthey afford in sustaining the mass of earth above the well, impart to the upper portion of 'the battery chamber a rigidity and strength of construction which enable the flat roof to sustain the superimposed load of earth without increasing the thickness or weight of the structure at this point. The construction, as a avholc, is strong, neat and durable, and well adapted to meet-all the conditions encountered in actual use.

What I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A battery well, haymg a battery chamher. and having above the battery chamber, a thickened lug formed in the wallf'ofthe well having therein a conduit passage terminating in a socket recess adapted to receive the end of a trunking box, substantially as described.

2. A battery well, having a battery chamber and having above the chamber a thickened lug formed in the wall of the welha conduit pipe of elbow shape and formed, of

non-corrosive material, as fiber, the lug h'aving formed, in register with the end of the pipe, a socket recess adapted to receive the inner end of a trunking box, substantially as described. i

3.- A battery well, having a battery chamber, and having above the battery chamber an air chamber which communicates with I the battery chamber through a manhole, said air chamber having in its vertical sidewall an upwardly extending "conduit passage which at its-lower end opens directly into the battery chamber and at its upper end leads to the exterior of the well at a point intermediate'the height ofthe .air chamber.

1 I g CHARLES F. MASSEY.

Witnesses WALKER BANNING, .WM. P.'BAnn. 

